


Wise warrior

by Myrsky



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Loki Does What He Wants, Not Thor: The Dark World Compliant, Post-Iron Man 3, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 16:10:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3296558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myrsky/pseuds/Myrsky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Avengers attend an alert created by the doombots, Tony encounters some problems:<br/>1) the doombots aren't reacting as predicted.<br/>2) they are getting cornered, away from the other members of the team.<br/>3) Loki?!</p><p>----<br/>As the tags say, it's post-Iron Man 3 but not compliant with Thor 2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wise warrior

There are times in the life of a warrior, or a hero, when they have to step back and take a look around to see what is their enemy up to, if they don't want to end up dead.

That is a skill that most of them lack, once they have left the battlefield, shielded in their confidence.

Or even, in it.

That is Tony Stark's curse, becoming overconfident at the worst times, specially once he has delved almost all his attention away from the battlefield into his own brain, trying to find what is wrong with the attack. Something is definitely off and while his sensors can't find what is the matter, each and every of his senses is rejecting the official statement. The doombots aren't as organized as always - the bots are simply flying around, trying to disperse them- , the attack happening too early in the morning for anybody else than the Avengers to be really around, even if the place of the attack is at a medieval fair. There isn't the habitual chaos, there aren't any explosions, they are just... like trying to get them trapped.

"This is not..." He starts saying by the comm, never getting to finish the track of his thought.

Surrounded by the enemy, his eyes looking up at the flying doombots above his head, above the stands on Central Park, he suddenly found himself blasted across the field accompanied by a morning-star that carved its way into his thick armour, the sharp metal breaking his skin and making him bleed, failing to find his heart by millimetres.

His breath hitched, unable to move away from any of his attackers, unable to gather the strength to talk, to give orders or instructions to JARVIS or to his team.

He closed his eyes, waiting for a quick death, as if he deserved the grace.

A blast of green light over him makes him shiver. The confirmation from JARVIS would have made him cringe, had he still be in battling condition.

"Signature energy pattern recognized, Sir. Pertains to Loki Odinson."

He is away from his team, his lungs probably punctured and unable to move, blood spilling into his suit... probably onto his lungs as well, he thinks with a cough.

Wasn't the bastard in jail? How would he be in New York? The situation didn't seem Loki related at all, why would he simply pop up in the field? Doom's bots were behind all the havoc they had encountered, at least until the doombot had had the incredible luck to strike him with the fucking morning-star that was still over his chest.

His eyes, barely open now to check his surroundings, can't find the god anywhere. He must be waiting on his back, getting ready to kill him. He couldn't understand why would Loki even be around, Thor had left for Asgard a week before in some mission that he had labelled as Loki related... of course, the bastard had escaped and Thor hadn't even told them to be aware for him.

Not that he would complain right now about the guy not being on the leash, he was pretty much alive thanks to him right now. Pretty much being the overestimation of the century, of course, having into consideration that he is as good as dead unless he is found in the next twenty minutes by some ally. Hell, right now he would even settle for the less friendly ones, he'd be happy even to see Fury. Seriously. He is even afraid to cough, just in the case a piece of his lungs decide to come out as well.

Minutes pass slow as hours, his lungs filling up and his brain trying to find any explication to his situation, he hasn't even heard any battle noise for a minute or two and the silence scares him even more... until he finally hears a muffled cry.

"Tony!" and with that he is being hauled onto someone's arms, someone he didn't hear coming closer, way too bright lights shinning over him now that he's pulled away from the closest building's shadow.

 

* * *

 

“How comes I am not dead?” he asks to anyone who might be around, not finding the energy to open up his eyes. They wouldn't leave him alone after saving him, would they? His chest feels like he had jumped off a skyscraper and landed over his chest... or like someone had hit him with a medieval artifact, come to think about it.

“JARVIS called for help.” Bruce said, sitting right next to him at the hospital-like room.

“What would I do without Jay.” Tony shook his head lightly, moving as lightly as he could manage at this moment “What's the report?”

“Two smashed ribs and a broken one, two punctures in your lungs and a small scratch in your heart. Alive, which would seem to be quite the feat, after taking a morning-star to your chest.”

He manages a throaty chuckle before start coughing, his hand trying to move to hold his ribs but only managing to pull out an IV that Bruce quickly placed back.

“Don't try to move, Tony. In fact, you shouldn't even be speaking. Everyone will be glad to see that you are awake once more but I will put you to sleep again now.” Tony could feel how the painkiller were getting to his veins through the IV, knowing the sensation perhaps too well.

“Oh, damn, I must have been very close to dying to achieve that.”

Bruce laughed before patting his shoulder, relief underlying that action. It must have been a really close one if everyone would be glad to see him awake, definitely. However, thinking about the latest moments he remembered made him shiver under the hospital thin sheets.

“Loki?” he asked, not sure how could he even voice his request, his need to know.

“Thor came back to the tower yesterday night and said that his brother had escaped. How...?”

“When the doombot... hit me... Loki engaged them... away from me.” his speech was becoming slower and his thoughts less coherent as the painkillers filled his blood and reached his brain and made him fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

His next awaking was less pleasant than the first. Mainly, because Thor was over-thrilled about Loki's appearance. He demanded to know everything that had happened.

"Friend Tony! You must tell me everything!"

“Seriously, not much to tell, buddy. I didn't even see him, I just saw the flash of green and that was all, I mean, it was JARVIS who identified it as his. For all I knew it could have been another doombot.” That was a blatant lie, since the moment he saw the light he knew it was Loki.

Thor was pacing around the room, making it seem much smaller. It was clear that, whatever it was, Thor couldn't make any sense of it either. Of course he couldn't, Tony was a genius and that didn't make any sense, let _Thor_ try to make it. He might have known Loki for centuries but he didn't know any more information than them about the today's _bag of cats_ mental state.

"My brother escaped Asgard and the first thing he does on Midgard is coming to see his captors? Help one of them?"

"Yes, Point Break, that's where I am stuck too. Not like the guy showed any restraint throwing me out of the window or anything."

When Thor left the room, thanks to Bruce who said that he wanted to spend some time with Tony, or that was the excuse because Bruce actually fell asleep as soon as he sat on the chair, Tony couldn't stop thinking about it either. The same man, forget that, the same god who had thrown him out of a window has saved his life now?

Why? Why would Loki do that? He had zero appreciation for humans, he considered himself to be above of all of them. What would he ask in exchange for his life... it certainly made him stay awake and alert for his whole stay in the hospital. Loki was bound to appear sooner or later. And even worse, each mention of Loki, even on his own mind started a small panic attack.  Every thought about Loki led at a thought about the Chitauri, the Void, the hive, the fall,...

 

* * *

 

After three weeks of hospital, about to collapse for his lack of sleep – he was simply dozing out while Bruce or Thor were with him, as they were the only ones that perhaps could hold Loki – created by all his thinking and no tinkering, he got back home. He had waited just enough to be able to walk to his car, even if any walking was discouraged by his doctor. At least, now he could move without the risk of his ribs puncturing his lungs again, even if it hurt like a bitch. Not like there was any chance of him coming back home on a wheelchair, that would be so embarrassing.

He would sleep better with JARVIS watching over him, his suits near -lately he had been creating a better response system for JARVIS-, and all the Avengers living at the tower. Loki might be able to teleport himself into the tower but with all the security measures, he wouldn't be able to do anything... or so Tony told to himself.

He certainly could sleep that night. And the night after that, as well. He was home now, with his team.

 

* * *

 

The bright sunlight that only noon could bring filtered through the window of his own room at the penthouse, his eyes almost shut because of the intensity of it. JARVIS had seemed to see fit that he woke up already. He berated JARVIS for a while before giving up and simply turning on his less injured side.

He didn't open his eyes completely, though, until much later, when a flash of green light made him open his eyes completely, in a surprise expression that would have made any of the Avengers laugh heartily at him.

Before he could think or say anything, or even close his eyes again, a hand touched his bandaged chest right where his arc reactor shined before.

He looked down, barely murmuring a throaty “No.” before his voice got lost.

“Dare to deny me, wise warrior?” Loki said, smiling and moving his other hand to shut the alarm and the red light that JARVIS had turned on “Worry not, your shield-brothers are not roaming the building, I made sure of that.” He sat next to Tony waiting for the moment he opened his eyes again. A speck of green filled his brown eyes when he did so, and Loki grinned, caressing Tony's cheek with a knuckle. “Oh, perhaps I should have said _my not so wise warrior_ , I cannot comprehend why would you take off the only device that could protect you from this, from me, but I am glad you did. So glad. Without your mind working for them, your mighty warriors are lost, just brawn without brain.”

Tony only blinked, looking at Loki perched above him. He sat in the bed, without taking his eyes off of Loki. “Welcome home, master” were his only words, leaning forwards to seal them with a light kiss on Loki's lips.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time that I actually write something else that isn't original content, so any comment about it would be much appreciated.


End file.
